Saturday morning Dover house fires were training exercises for local fire companies

Approximately 40 firefighters from four area companies − Dover, Camden-Wyoming, Bowers and Magnolia − participated in training exercises on two homes along Bay Road, just north of Del. Route 10 in Dover Saturday morning. Saturday was the second of two days of training, with the first being held last Tuesday.

Heavy smoke could be seen by motorists traveling south on Del. Route 1 in Dover on Saturday morning. Two homes on Bay Road, just north of Del. Route 10 in Dover, were engulfed. The fires, however, were not true emergencies.

Approximately 40 firefighters from four area companies − Dover, Camden-Wyoming, Bowers and Magnolia − participated in training exercises on the homes. Saturday was the second of two days of training, with the first being held last Tuesday.

The owner of the two houses, which were scheduled to be demolished, donated the properties to the fire companies for training purposes.

The firefighters spent Tuesday and Saturday setting and putting out 30 fires, 15 per house.

"We did engine company operations on Tuesday, and truck company work today," said Dover Fire Department Assistant Chief David Carey. "It is rare that we get to work on live training on a real house."

After evolutions were completed, the houses was burnt to the ground, Dover Fire Department officials said.